Having lived in the city of Amsterdam for over three years now I can truly say it’s a super exciting place to live in. There’s always something going on, and although it can be very crowded, you can find quiet parks and nice restaurants where you can bask in the sun – just a bike ride away. The city is known for its many great museums, parties and exhibitions to visit all year round, but several activities don’t require effort or tickets at all, like enjoying a picnic in the park, walking along the canals or looking for hidden art in the nine streets.
However, when you’re only here for a couple of days, two of which you’re attending Europe’s leading tech festival, you’ll want to make the most of your visit to Amsterdam. We get that. That’s why we’ve created eight guides of places, restaurants, parties just around the corner of the conference site. Enjoy!
Wednesday
On Wednesday evening TNW Conference officially kicks off with our Opening party – or actually parties – at three different locations in the same popular street in Amsterdam: de Reguliersdwarsstraat.
Thursday
Since the conference starts at 10 a.m. on Thursday, you’ll have some time for a nice breakfast. At Vinnies in the Haarlemmerstraat for example. They open at 8 every day and they serve simple, pure and healthy food. Grab a coffee to go and start the day fresh with a 20 minutes-walk to the conference.
From 10 until 5 we expect you to be massively inspired by all our great speakers and side events at TNW Conference. And we know from experience; this makes you hungry. Luckily, we have you covered: Take your pick from one of our 20 carefully curated food trucks, rolling kitchens and BBQ Masters at the Street BBQ.
By this time you should be heading to bed like a responsible adult, there’s still a day of networking and talks ahead of you! On the other hand, you could also skip bed and go dancing at De School – Amsterdam’s hottest night club. Palmbomen is playing on Thursday night… decisions! De School is only fifteen minutes by bike from the conference terrain, and thanks to its early 8pm start, you can enjoy the party and still be in bed at a respectable hour. Want to have a listen first? You can here.
Friday
First, you’ll need coffee. Lucky for you, Amsterdam offers a lot of Really. Great. Coffee. In East, you could pop by Rum Baba, who serve home roasted coffee and American style cakes. Want to start your day in the city center? Head over to Quartier Putain, a cute cafe for ‘top notch coffee’. Finally, in West, there’s White Label Coffee, a café with specialty coffee roasters and – you guessed it – a white interior.
After another great day at TNW Conference, you’ll need dinner again. There’s this great place called Troost (with a location right at the Westergasfabriekterrein) and they really have everything you need: good burgers and home-brewed beers. This will get you ready for the Official TNW Afterparty.
Saturday
Saturday will probably be your first – and maybe only – holiday. A perfect start of this day would be having brunch at G’s. They have a nice place to in the Jordaan area, but you could also choose to have G’s brunch on a two hour boat ride (pick up at Keizersgracht)! Don’t forget to make reservations.
Next, we’d recommend you visit the newly opened A’DAM LOOKOUT for sick views of Amsterdam. This is the big tower just behind Amsterdam Central Station. Tickets are € 12,50 and will take you up the observation deck in just 22 seconds. You’ll get to appreciate the panoramic view of Amsterdam and a state-of-art interactive exhibition about Amsterdam’s history and culture. Real daredevils are invited to get onto Europe’s highest swing and see Amsterdam below their feet.
If you’d rather get your level of vitamin D up, you could go to the Amsterdam Forest; a park three times the size of New York’s Central Park. Stroll, cycle, kayak or… visit the goat farm. If the weather is really great, you can even go swimming in the waterways and lakes.
After a day full of activities (or relaxation) it’s time for some drinks. There are a few sites in Amsterdam where you can enjoy your afternoon drinks by the water. Café de Ceuvel in Amsterdam North is a café, restaurant & urban retreat. Waterkant in the city center is a tropical place next to the canal to sunbathe, drink and dance. And last but not least, we have Pllek in Amsterdam North. Here you’ll feel like you’re on an island whilst sipping a glass of fine wine.
Of course, Amsterdam has so much more to offer. That’s why Flamyngo has created a curated list of many hotstpots around the conference. Check it out!
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